Thursday, 8 December 2011

Good quotations to use from last year.

‘there is social prohibition against the feminization of men, there is almost none against the masculinisation of women.’ - Macdonald, M. (1995).Representing women: myths of femininity in the popular media. London: E. Arnold ;. P215

‘stereotypes survive by undergoing changeand by convincing us that they’re not entirely false.’ - Macdonald, M. (1995).Representing women: myths of femininity in the popular media. London: E. Arnold ; p13

‘strip tease culture’ - http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/2449/1/Postfeminist_media_culture_(LSERO).pdf

‘Madonna’s erotica album blurred gender confusions, fluidity of sexuality, and transgression of masculine and feminine stereotypes.’- Gauntlett, D. (2007). Media, gender and identity: an introduction (Reprinted. ed.). London [u.a.: Routledge.

‘A woman attired as a man may be seen as ‘power dressing’ or as adapting the mannerism of lesbianism’ - Macdonald, M. (1995).Representing women: myths of femininity in the popular media. London: E. Arnold ;. P215

More quotes from books!

LGBT identity and online new media By Christopher Pullen, Margaret Cooper

'“Truting” uses the pop song Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? By Culture Club (headed by openly gay male pop star icon, Boy George), which offers an upbeat tempo, yet focuses on the misunderstanding of sexual diversity with the line “this boy loves without a reason,” and repeating the title line and “Do you really want to make my cry?” frequently.'

Encyclopedia of gay and lesbian popular culture By Luca Prono

"Gay and lesbian celebrated queers as producers of culture, thus countering media representations of gays as producers of the plague. "

"The debates surrounding popular culture representations of gayness became increasingly politicized."

Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Critical Reader By Gail Dines, Jean McMahon Humez

"Despite some important advances in gay and lesbian visibility in media culture in recent years, representations of sexuality in mainstream pop culture continue to be, for the most part, rampantly heterosexual."

"Part of the reason for this is the continuing homophobia that producers assume continues to characterize the majority of media consumers in most targeted audiences. "

Pop culture wars: religion & the role of entertainment in American life William D. Romanowski

"How the media represent these groups (for example, negative portrayals or exclusion) is largely the basis of the progressive critique."

"On the other side in the culture wars, progressives generally view popular culture as an expression of democratic pluralism and argue that because the United States is a culturally diverse society, adequate institutional representation..."

All the Rage: The Story of Gay Visibility in America By Suzanna Danuta Walters

"While invisibility and avoidance remained the norm in the 70s, depictions of lesbians and gays did pop up occasionally."

Authentic Human Sexuality: An Integrated Christian Approach By Judith K. Balswick, Jack O. Balswick

"Even after the emergence of heterosexual desires, the battle is not over; homosexual thoughts can pop up at the most"

The Ashgate research companion to queer theory By Noreen Giffney, Michael O'Rourke

"Judith Butler asserts: ‘If the term queer is to be a site of collective contestations, the point of departure for a set of historical reflections and futural imaginings, it will have to remain that which is, in the present, never fully owned, but always and only redeployed, twisted, queered from a prior usage and in the direction of urgent and expanding political purposes’."

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Book references

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=duhGAAAAMAAJ&q=pop+music+%26+homosexuality&dq=pop+music+%26+homosexuality&hl=en&surl=1&safe=active Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America, Volume 2; Volume 4, Marc Stein
"Increasingly, openly gay and lesbian performers speak to audiences without the evasion that heretofore characterized the history of pop songwriting and performance."

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Y3FYzMPH2OwC&pg=PA35&dq=pop+music+%26+homosexuality&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian popular culture by Luca Prono
"After the death of his wife, Bernstein was more open about his homosexuality, but without officially coming out."

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qp52mROzDMYC&pg=RA1-PA163&dq=pop+music+%26+homosexuality&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
Queers in American Popular Culture by Jim Elledge
"African-American and gay clubs has moved into the American heartland and is fast taking over the pop-music business."

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SVF5xQCC7OoC&pg=PA127&dq=pop+music+%26+homosexuality&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
We Are the Champions: The Politics of Sports and Popular Music by Ken McLeod.
"If sports constitute a forum where homosexuality has been traditionally discouraged, then popular music is a forum where it has, at least by comparison, been relatively tolerated and at times even celebrated."

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=l6sS1cC1Kl4C&pg=PA135&dq=pop+music+%26+homosexuality&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
Striptease culture: Sex, media and the democratization of desire by Brain McNair.
"In doing so they were only the campest product of a popular music industry which, in the 1970s and thereafter, provided a key platform for the mainstreaming of gayness, and male homosexuality in particular."

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=30NDj3_0wmMC&pg=PA99&dq=pop+music+%26+homosexuality&hl=en#v=onepage&q=pop%20music%20%26%20homosexuality&f=false
The British pop dandy: masculinity, popular music and culture By Stan Hawkins
"The passive male homosexual's femininity would be essentialized by his preference for subjects at school, such as music, art, languages and history,13 while in the case of the 'manlier' homosexual, with male-based subject interests,"

Thursday, 1 December 2011

Links for Critical Investigation

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/nov/28/john-bercow-coat-of-arms?INTCMP=SRCH - about gay rights and equality in our society reflected through a coat of arms.
"John Bercow, the Commons Speaker, has included a series of pink triangles and rainbow colours as part of his heraldic achievement to highlight his role in championing LGBT – lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender – rights."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/24/nicki-minaj-new-album?INTCMP=SRCH
Nicki Minaj supports LGBT rights - seems to be around the queer theory! shouldn't be defined by the sexuality, she herself doesn't comment on her sexual orientation.
" Although Minaj refuses to comment on her sexual orientation, she is a vocal supporter of LGBT rights."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/15/bisexuality-lgbt-history-month?INTCMP=SRCH
Stats & opinions of the definition of what makes people gay or bisexual. Seems that being bisexual is 'cool' right now.
"The last Observer poll on sexual attitudes showed that 4% of people – one in 25 – identified as homosexual, and half as many again identified separately as bisexual."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/jul/30/gay-rights-surfing-sport?INTCMP=SRCH Article
"Cohen has stepped away from a successful, 15-year rugby career to dedicate his time and effort to an anti-bullying organisation that focuses on allying with LGBT youth to prevent that community's "increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviours, suicide attempts and suicide"."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/jun/23/gay-rights-barack-obama?INTCMP=SRCH
Gay rights
" (I'm not counting the Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an Obama victory because Congress did all the hard work, while Obama merely signed it into law.)"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2011/may/26/edinburgh-lgbt-pride-moscow?INTCMP=SRCH worldwide opinions on Russias gay rights issues.
"Jane Carnall shares her memories of a Pride march on Broughton Street in 1995, and says countries opposing such marches should be ashamed"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/01/bbc-gay-peter-tatchell?INTCMP=SRCH
Reviewing how the BBC construct LGBT characters and how much coverage there is on these groups.
"At a time when the BBC national news was almost daily reporting murders of young men and racist attacks, in 2008 it failed to report thehomophobic murder of 18-year-old Michael Causer in Liverpool, other than on the Merseyside section of the BBC website."

http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/openup/chapters/0335202500.pdf
PDF reviewing music over time and the dramatic change and looking at the events during the time of the music.

www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/.../jack.../research_proposal.doc
Research proposal into pop music, the effects and change its caused in society.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8899599/Archbishop-very-disappointed-with-gay-marriage-move.html Article about Cameron's plan to legalise same-sex marriage, and the arch-bishops disagrees with these plans.
"Homosexuals have been allowed to enter into civil partnerships since 2005, giving them the same legal rights as heterosexuals."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/15/bisexuality-lgbt-history-month?INTCMP=SRCH article on bisexuals
"t's LGBT History Month, so here's something you can quote to people when they ask: "But what have the bisexuals ever done for us?": the first ever gay pride week was organised in the wake of the Stonewall riots in the US, and was the idea of Brenda Howard, an out bisexual activist. "

http://newsone.com/entertainment/abanjoko/ti-anti-gay-gaffe-in-vibe/
Article about rapper T.I and his anti-gay comments being insensitive and ridiculing being gay.
‘C’mon man, I think gay people are too sensitive. If you can take a d**k, you can take a joke.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2038427/Gay-marriage-legal-Britain-2015.html
Article about gay marriage being legalised in 2015.
"But they will still be barred from getting married in churches and other religious buildings – even though some denominations want to offer the services. "

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2008002/Lady-Gaga-stop-crying-tweets-emotional-reaction-New-Yorks-gay-marriage-bill.html
"So it was no surprise that Lady Gaga had a very emotional reaction when her home state of New York today passed a law making gay marriage legal. "

Monday, 28 November 2011

MEST 4 homework:

Critical Investigation title: How does pop music culture create awareness of LGBT groups and has it been successful in doing so?

Linked Production: Parody music video or a documentary.

Working with Sital for my linked production.

Critical Investigation keywords: LGBT, gay, lesbian, transexual, bisexual, homophobic/ia.

Media Language: Focus on the props, make-up. The different shots, length of shots, and angles. Digetic and non-digetic will be heavily focussed on.

Institution: Looking at the different music record labels and their ideologies. Considering whether the other texts linked to the institution have the same values or not. How and why it varies across institutions.

Genre: Typing codes and conventions of pop music today. How its changed over time. How this has anything to do with LGBT representations. Looking at parody music videos and the similarities and differences between the original video and the parody.

Representations: Are the LGBT groups being represented accurately? positively? How has this effected audiences. Are the representations fair and if not then why?

Audiences: The LGBT groups. Who else consumes the messages conveyed through pop music? Do they accept it too. The different audiences? How they vary in values.

Ideologies: Are the values shown positive? Do they benefit people? Have they changed society's ideologies?

Narrative: What narrative do the music video show? Do they change over time? How are they different? Do they have the same message?

Social:Has is had an effect on society?
Historical: How has this changed over time?
Economical: Has it made money?
Political: Does politics have an effect on the issues posed?

Issues/debate & why:
Tolerance of LGBT groups and how far the line is drawn. Regulation & censorship. Representations & stereotyping. Media effect.

Theories: Marxism & Hegemony. Audience theories. Gender & ethnicity. Liberal Pluralism.

This study fits into the contemporary media landscape because of the fact that there are always new stories based around the LGBT community and the fact that recently there has been more focus on sexuality in popular culture which in turn has a major influence on its wide ranging audiences.

10 links:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8899599/Archbishop-very-disappointed-with-gay-marriage-move.html Article about Cameron's plan to legalise same-sex marriage, and the arch-bishops disagrees with these plans.

http://newsone.com/entertainment/abanjoko/ti-anti-gay-gaffe-in-vibe/
Article about rapper T.I and his anti-gay comments being insensitive and ridiculing being gay.

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Best Critical Investigations 2011

How does the R&B genre construct certain gender ideologies? Why might this be a concern in a post feminist society? - Mariam

"I think my research will prove that it’s more acceptable for a woman to be represented as masculinethan a man to be feminised becausethere is more social stigma." ; 'critical perspective' - She is already in her introduction showing 'critical perspectives' of the gender ideologies and the different angles in which this debate can be argued.

"This is supported by Roland Barthes who says ‘there is social prohibition against the feminization of men, there is almost none against the masculinisation of women.’" ; 'sophisticated knowledge' & 'very good application of media concepts, contexts and critical debates.' - there is evidence that she has done independent research into the subject, uses these quotes to construct & support her arguments.

"R&B emerged from soul music originally which was similar in the lyrical content: love, lust, and lack of respect from men." ; 'very good understanding of the chosen area of investigation' - She show the historical context, and how it has emerged in society.

"From a Marxist perspective women are thought to absorb the anger that working class males face when they're alienated at work by the elite." ; 'critical debates' - Explores the different debates and shows how other theorists would debate about the gender ideologies.

"The song contrasts with Neyo's ‘Miss Independent’ as the man respects and desires a powerful independent woman. However with Rihanna's ‘Hard’ it could be argued that respect is only gained by becoming more masculine, for example when she’s gambling, she walks away from the all the men." ; 'analytical investigation' - She shows good analysis of the way in which men and women in are portrayed in music videos in a supposedly post feminist society.

"This can be an example of ‘gender trouble’ as Judith Butler highlighted." ; 'understanding of media

'It is well presented with a very detailed bibliography/source list' - She has a variety of sources from which she embeds her quotations and use the theories well to construct her analysis around.

concepts' - Use of media theorists to support her arguement is good, it is also 'fluent' and is easy to understand the argument that she is trying to get at.

"This may be down to the gender roles being restricted to women as there would have been more stigma attached to promiscuous women in the past than there is today." - considers how the portrayal of women in the media has changed and also how the role of a woman has changed over time.

"The female gaze is on Neyo even though he’s not sexually objectified but at the start when he comes into work, you hear a chorus of ‘good morning Neyo’ which could suggest he’s a ladies man." ; 'engagement with the primary text(s) and a range of secondary texts' - She uses both her primary and secondary texts to support her arguments.

"This suggests there is some truth in stereotypes which could be down to other factors like socialisation and cultural upbringing. It socialises women from a young age to primarily look after their men and put their needs second." - Looks at how it effects the audiences and their lifestyles e.g. the hyperdermic needle theory.

"Rihanna also considers Madonna as one of her idols and biggest influences, saying ‘‘Madonna has reinvented herself throughout her career and moved into different areas. I want to be the black Madonna.’’" ; 'independent research skills' - cosiders why there is change in the gender constructions of music videos.

"In contrast she presents herself as a modernised femme fatale who wears amilitary hat and red lipstick when she’s playing poker with men who are surrounded by alcohol." Good analysis and interpretation of the costume and make up.

"‘‘The fascination with black 'butts' continues. In the sexual iconography of the traditional black pornographic imagination the protruding butt is seen as an indication of heightened sexuality’’" - 'very good application of media concepts, contexts and critical debates'

However this is challenged in the poker scene as Rihanna beats the men at their own game which would be a blow to men’s self-esteem. Therefore this suggests that women are living in a post feminism society as women are striping away their ‘traditional’ gender roles and femininity.

Neyo’s ‘Miss Independent’ is aimed at mainstreamers and succeeders as they’d be goal orientated after seeing that women can be successful and in fact are more desirable to men.

MEST 4: Research & Production